Lake Tahoe In Summer

This is a long overdue post. I took a trip to Lake Tahoe in August of last year and I have not yet blogged about it! It was such a memorable trip but soon after I started a new job and things got crazy.

Nutan, Jui and I planned this trip. We found a gorgeous cabin on airbnb and we were all set to go. Since our schedules were different, we all drove there individually. We started on Friday morning to avoid the traffic and reached there comfortably by afternoon. The rest of them got there pretty late in the evening. On the way we spotted at a few scenic spots as well as spent some time in Pope Beach.

Pope beach at sunset

Pope beach

The cabin was simply superb. Three bedrooms spread across two floors and a huge living room stacked with games and a keyboard. It was very well furnished. We spent the entire night talking, laughing and having a great time.

Cabin

The next morning we headed to the Zephyr cove beach, rented some beach chairs and sun umbrellas and spent the day there lazying and playing in the water. Vishnu and I even did parasailing which was scary initially but then super fun. The view from up top of the pristine water and mountains was gorgeous. Didn't take the camera so no pictures. In the evening, we went to Heavenly village to get some snacks and then returned to the cabin.

Zephyr Cove

Playing in Lake Tahoe

Beach chairs and Umbrellas rented at Zephyr cove

Snack stop at Heavenly Village

 

The next day morning, both of us rented out bicycles and biked on the bike trail along the beach. The dedicated bike trail meant no pedestrians or cars. It was an awesome experience. It wasn't very difficult although there were a few slopes for which I walked the bike. It was the first time I was biking such a long distance and I did quite well. Shortly after, we headed back home.

Biking Trail

 

Pope Beach

Sunny SoCal

This President's Day weekend, we decided to take a trip to SoCal. We planned the trip along with my namesake and brother-in-law. As it was a last minute plan, I didn't have much time to do my usual research and planning. This did not stop us from having a fantastic vacation.

The stunning California coast

We headed out of the bay area on Friday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to find no traffic on the way. Our first stop was Morro Rock around 5pm. We reached there just in time to catch the beautiful sunset. The breeze was very cold and so was the water so we couldn't really hang around and play. We managed to get some great shots of the sun setting behind the huge Morro Rock.

Morro Rock

Our hotel was located in Arroya Grande which was a perfect place to access San Luis  Obispo and Santa Barbara. The next morning, we headed to Pismo beach which was ten minutes away. The weather was gorgeous. The warm breeze and the bright sun made it a perfect day. We sat on the pier for a long time looking at the rise and fall of waves. There were  a few surfers in action. I could have stayed at the beach for the entire day but we had a few other places to explore so we set out. There was something very calming about the beach and I can tell I'm going to go there again.

At Pismo Beach

Brown Pelican

Next up was San Luis Obispo downtown. We treated ourselves to a scrumptious Moroccan lunch and then strolled along the San Luis Creek. The mission and several restaurants flank the creek. We also passed by an alley which has bubblegum stuck all over it and is aptly called 'The Bubblegum Alley.'

San Luis creek

SoCal has a large number of vineyards and wineries. So we decided to try one out. Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards was our pick. It is a small winery with the major highlight being the dozens of peacocks that roam the grounds. As most of us are not wine connoisseurs, the wine tasting was just a different experience.

Wine tasting at Kelsey See Canyon Winery

Peacock at Kelsey See Canyon Winery

Avila beach was our final destination for the day. We found a nice place to sit and relax, waiting to watch the sunset. Vishnu busied himself in trying to get some good pictures. The warm breeze made it very enjoyable to sit unlike the beaches in Santa Cruz where the wind chill drives you crazy. We had dinner and called it a night.

Avila Beach

Sunday was the day to explore Santa Barbara so we drove there. We visited the Botanical Garden which turned out to be very hot and not too much fun. Then we went to downtown where Vishnu wanted to check out the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The museum was undergoing renovation so they had limited art on display. They did have a few notable artists like Monet, Dali and Renoir. I was very exhausted and hungry after that so we headed straight to find food.

Botanical Garden

Post lunch, we went to the Stearns Wharf. It being a long weekend, the place was packed and we had to park quite a distance away. I wanted to rent a bike and enjoy a nice bike ride along the coast but I changed my mind after seeing the crowd. We went to the end of the Wharf and sat watching the waves, seals and the boats in the water. It was very peaceful. We hung around until the sun went down.

Stearns Wharf Santa Barbara

I had heard a lot about Solvang, a quaint Danish village. We reached there after dark so could not really see any of the architecture or explore the shops as most of the stores were closed. It was quite a let down but we managed to get some great pizza in a downtown restaurant and we were content.

Monday morning we headed back home taking in the lovely sights of the California coast. The breathtaking views of the blue ocean and the coastline are enough to fill your heart with awe. It is a photographer's delight. We stopped at one viewpoint to snap some pictures and got back home wishing to be back soon.

Natural Bridges State Beach

What do you do when you catch a sunny break from the cold winter? You head to the beach, of course! That's what we did last Saturday. I had heard about the Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz from a colleague and so I decided to check it out.

Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz

An hour's drive took us to the beach. It being a beautiful day, the beach was buzzing with activity. The weather was just perfect-no annoying cold wind or fog to take away from the views. It is a small sandy beach compared to the main one near the boardwalk. Quite close to the shore is a massive rock which forms an arch giving it an appearance of a bridge. Apparently, there were three such bridges but erosion took a toll on them and now only one survives. You can see about hundreds of birds perched on top of the bridge. We also saw quite a few surfers having a fun time and enjoying the water.

Right next to the beach, there are some tide pools. These are rocks with small depressions in them. During low tide, when there is no water covering these rocks, you can see a lot of different sea life forms. There were snails, anemones, sea-weeds, mussels and many colorful forms. It was a treat to watch them. We reached there at the fag end of the low tide and so could catch only a glimpse of what actually is out there. The best time to visit the tide pools is an hour before or an hour after low tide.

Anemones

Mussels and sea weed

The park next to the beach is home to the migrating Monarch Butterflies. There is a separate trail with eucalyptus trees where you can see hundreds of Monarch Butterflies during the migratory season (October to mid February). It is a quiet and shaded trail and if you look up, you can see the butterflies fluttering about. Since we went there around sunset, the weather was not warm enough and so there were fewer butterflies than one can see during the afternoon. It was difficult to capture them on camera as it was getting dark.

Monarch Butterflies Trail

 It was a perfect day out at the beach with gorgeous views to refresh the mind and soul.

What: Natural Bridges State Beach
Where: 2531 W Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz CA 95060
When: 8.00am to sunset
Fee: Free (parking is $10 which you can avoid by parking on the street)

Point Reyes Lighthouse

As mentioned in the bioluminescence kayaking post, on our way to Tomales Bay, we stopped at Point Reyes lighthouse.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

It was a two hour drive from Sunnyvale and the parts along Highway 1 are an absolute treat to the eyes. The Point Reyes National Seashore Park has a lot of different beaches apart from the lighthouse. As we were short on time, we could not stop at any other points. Point Reyes is the windiest place on the West coast and the second foggiest place in North America. Luckily for us, it was a clear day and the wind wasn't too bad!

This is the view from the parking lot.

A short walk leads to a small gift shop and restrooms. From there, 300 odd concrete steps take you downhill to where the lighthouse is located. It was a lot smaller than I had imagined it to be. The view from the lighthouse was no different from up top. If you want to avoid the walk up and the down, you can totally skip it.

300 Steps

The interiors of the lighthouse were bare except for a massive instrument with the clockwork mechanism, glass prism and lens that is housed inside. A guide inside gave us a brief overview. The lighthouse was built in 1870 and it warned mariners about rocky shores for hundred years before it was decommissioned in 1975. The guide also explained the mechanism of the equipment but I wasn't too keen on it.

Lighthouse from up close

Guide explaining the Lighthouse mechanism

The climb back up was the toughest part and made me huff and puff! I did not enjoy that at all. As you can gather, I wasn't too impressed by the trip so I wouldn't recommend it. Honestly, I liked the lighthouse at San Diego much better than this one.

What: Point Reyes Lighthouse
Where: Point Reyes Lighthouse, Inverness CA
Hours: Thur-Mon 2:30pm-4:00pm
Fee: Free

Bioluminescence Kayaking At Tomales Bay

In continuation to my resolve to try my hand at different adventure sports after my last white water rafting trip, I decided to explore kayaking. I have kayaked once in the past so the activity itself was nothing new. However, this was bioluminescence kayaking. I had never heard about it and would have missed out on this had a friend not told me about it. It was a marvelous experience, one that is hard to describe and leaves you at a loss of words. I was completely awestruck by this amazing natural occurrence. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of this as both my hands were busy paddling.

Scene for the movie 'Life of Pi'

Bioluminescence is the phenomenon of organisms producing chemicals that emit light. In Tomales Bay, single celled organisms called dino-flagellates are present in the water. When we paddle through the water, the disturbance causes them to produce chemicals resulting in the water to glow. The effect is magical and it felt like a scene out of 'Life of Pi.' One can see this only when it is pitch-dark. Moonlight, vehicular light and any other strong lights prevent bioluminescence from being viewed.

 

I booked my trip through Clavey Paddlesports a month in advance as September-October is the peak season for it and tickets get sold out pretty quickly. We kayaked in the Tomales Bay (north of San Francisco) which is about two hours from Sunnyvale. On the way, we stopped at Point Reyes to visit the lighthouse which I'll cover in a separate post. We reached the designated place at 5pm. The guides gave us the gear namely personal floatation devices, a waterproof jacket and a skirt to wear around the waist and the kayak to keep the water from entering inside. A quick demonstration of how to paddle and operate the kayak was given and we were in the water at 6pm.

All the kayaking gear

 Luck was on our side as the weather turned out to be extremely pleasant. No chilly breeze or biting cold to take away from the fun. Fearing a cold and windy night, we had packed multiple layers of clothing but it was not needed. Until the sun set completely, we kayaked around the bay for an hour. We then stopped on an island for a short break. Hot cocoa was served which was very refreshing after the physical activity. The guide took a few minutes to explain what bioluminescence is and what we can expect.

Once we started paddling, there was a glow on the water along the paddles and the kayak. I dipped my hand into the water, and as the water trickled down my palm, it was glowing like silver-white pearls. It was a lovely sight. Occasionally, when big fishes passed by, they emitted a much stronger and bigger light which disappeared in a flash. One hour of this spectacular show was truly enjoyable.

You do not need to know swimming to enjoy this activity. All you need is to be in reasonable good health to paddle for two hour. Make sure you plan ahead and book tickets in advance. Camp sites are available if you wish to stay overnight.

This trip has made my love for water even stronger. I hope to someday enjoy scuba diving to explore more of nature's delights.

Point Lobos State Reserve, Carmel

I've been to Carmel once and that too six years ago. I can't believe that in the two years that we have been in the Bay Area, we didn't visit there even once. Last Sunday, owing to a Bach concert that Vishnu wanted to attend, I got an opportunity to go to Carmel. I saw the pictures of Point Lobos State Reserve and was sold instantly. So, while Vishnu attended the concert, I along with my in-laws spent a wonderful afternoon hiking, picnicking and soaking in the beauty of Carmel.

Entrance to Point Lobos State Reserve

Point Lobos is considered the crown jewel of the California state parks and not without reason. It has such stunning views, amazing wildlife, great weather and scenic beaches that one can sit at a spot and stare at all the beauty around and not get bored. I'm not even exaggerating. See for yourself.

Gibson Beach

Parking is difficult to find in the park as it is usually packed especially on weekends and holidays. You can park on Highway 1 as we did and walk inside. It is not a very long walk. Each vehicle is charged $10 while walk-in visitors are encouraged to donate $1. We purchased a map for $2 and set on our path to explore the park.

A short walk along the South Plateau trail and a 100 odd stairs brought us to the absolutely gorgeous Gibson beach. The white sand beach with turquoise water is a sight to behold. To my surprise, the water was not as cold as I expected it to be and I actually could stand and play in the water comfortably. And did I mention we spotted a deer on our way to the beach!

Me at Gibson Beach

As we continued on the South Plateau trail, we saw the Bird Island on which were perched hundred of black-colored, long-necked birds called Cormorants. We then passed by China cove which was closed off due to hazardous conditions. It looked equally beautiful. The Bird Island trail led us to a picnic spot where we devoured our packed lunches taking in the beautiful views all around us. 

Cormorants on Bird Island

After we had replenished our energy, we kept hiking on the South Shore trail till the Weston Beach. This beach was completely different from the previous two beaches. That does not mean it was any less scenic. I was amazed at how so many different views and sceneries were all packed up in one park. The Weston Beach has huge uplifted sedimentary rocks on which you can see multi-colored patterns formed by erosion. It had a very 'Grand Canyon-like' look and feel except that here you have water and cool breeze.

Weston Beach

Next stop was the Sea Lion Cove from where we could hear the barking California Sea Lions lazing on the rocks. There are otters and seals too although I don't quite know how to distinguish them. The rock formations here are magnificent and makes you appreciate nature. 

Sea Lion Cove

The Lace Lichen trail took us back to main entrance. The trees branches on this trail are covered with gray stringy lichen giving it an eerie feel. The tall trees let very less sunlight on the trail and the cool climate encourages the growth of lichens on branches which have already died due to lack of sunlight. I would never dare to walk through this trail alone!

Lace Lichen Trail

This park is undoubtedly the best hiking spot we have ever been to. The trails are mostly flat and can be covered easily by a person with average fitness level. The drastic change in the landscape at every short distance blew our minds away. This park has so much more to offer and I look forward to exploring the spectacular views during our next visit.

My Sister-in-Law and I at Gibson Beach

What: Point Lobos State Reserve

Where: 62 California 1, Carmel Ca 93923

When: 8 am-7pm or 1/2 hour after sunset

Fee: $10 per vehicle or $1 donation for walk-ins